1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a template generating apparatus for generating a template used to lay out digital images therein, and an image layout apparatus for laying out digital images in the template.
2. Description of the Related Art
Methods for automatically laying out images, characters, and the like according to prepared templates have been proposed. However, the layouts of templates affect the clearness and attractiveness of the outcomes of automatic layout. Therefore, designers or the like design several layouts in advance, and images and characters are laid out by use of templates having the layouts. More specifically, templates each having frames to insert images or characters therein are prepared in predetermined layout areas, and images and characters are inserted in the frames according to the templates.
In order to realize attractive layouts, images are sometimes subjected to manipulation such as changes in resolution, sizes, shapes, and colors upon insertion thereof in frames. However, some providers (copyright holders) of images wish for no or limited manipulation of the images. For example, logos of companies should not be manipulated. Therefore, unlimited manipulation of images to be inserted in frames is not preferable. For this reason, a system and a method have been proposed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-309833 wherein a permitted degree of manipulation is set as a manipulable degree for each image, and images having been manipulated within the permitted degrees are laid out in a template.
Furthermore, upon output of images photographed by digital still cameras or the like on displays or by printers, output images have been generated by laying out images in image insertion areas in image frames in order of input of the images. However, in the case where a plurality of images are laid out in order of input thereof, output images may not look harmonious, depending on the layout of the images. Therefore, a technique has been proposed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-184342 wherein layout condition information for defining a layout of objects is assigned to respective image insertion areas in an image frame, and images matching the layout condition information are laid out in the image insertion areas after analysis of the images.
In spite of these conventional techniques, layouts appropriate for photographed scenes may not be achieved by use of prepared templates alone, and correction of templates is often necessary. However, since templates are generated by use of HTML or XML in many cases, setting conditions for an image frame therein is not easy. That is, direct editing of HTML or XML is necessary, which requires special knowledge.